Planned, emergency or necessary medical treatment in a private clinic abroad refund application is simple and easy. You can claim a refund for treatment received abroad.
FAQ: Refund for planned and unplanned treatment in Europe private and state clinics – DIRECTIVE ROUTE
Does the Directive route cover private clinics?
Directive route (healthcare already received) – apply for a refund. If you had received and paid for healthcare abroad in a private clinic/hospital. Application is possible if you decided to get your planned HSE surgery abroad sooner.
What treatments you can receive via the Directive route?
You can claim a refund for treatment received abroad. You had to pay for treatment in a private clinic or state hospital abroad as a private (paying) patient? The EU directive route is giving all people legally living in Ireland receive a refund for treatment abroad. Within the Directive route, you can receive planned and emergency treatment provided by any clinic or hospital. In other words, you can get a refund if the treatment received would be offered to you in Ireland.
The EU cross-border directive covers all healthcare provided or prescribed. The Directive route covers the same or equivalent healthcare that would be available for you in the same situation in the Republic of Ireland. That means if you would have access to medical treatment In Dubin, you can access it in Rome. The EU cross-border directive also covers medicine prescriptions and medical devices.
Are there exemptions when I can get a refund?
In some situations, the HSE could insist that you had undergone the same steps if you would receive treatment in HSE Ireland. It means HSE has a right to refuse a refund if you had surgery without having prior consultation. This is the path every patient within the HSE system has to undergo.
Without applying for a refund you will not know if you can get it. In many cases, HSE will pay you up to 100% of your medical expenses abroad.
How Directive route is different from EHIC?
Compared to the EHIC the EU directive route gives you access to emergency and necessary treatment in the private sector. In case your health condition worsened and there were no state hospitals nearby, you can use the directive route refund claim. Private hospitals do not usually accept EHIC, but paying for treatment and claiming a refund is possible.
A refund for medical treatment in a private clinic abroad is possible!